This week in Tampa: One Direction, Def Leppard, Ringo Starr and more

It's British Invasion weekend in Tampa Bay! Things get cooking tonight when Coldplay hit the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Then boy banders One Direction (above) play the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre on Friday. Hair-metal stalwarts Def Leppard play the Forum on Saturday. And Ringo Starr brings his All-Starr Band back to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on Sunday.

One Direction With Olly MursFRIDAY 7:30 p.m. 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre, 4802 U.S. 301 N, Tampa. $38.50-73.50. (813) 740-2446. There’s a British Invasion in Tampa Bay this week. It kicks off Thursday with Coldplay at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. And it will continue Friday with power-poppy One Direction, a Simon Cowell-created crew from the British version of The X Factor. The quintet will belt out ubiquitous hit What Makes You Beautiful at the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre on Friday. You’ll hear the tween screams in Ocala, especially for 1D’s head heartbreaker Harry Styles. He and his awesome hair are part of the reason his band’s debut, Up All Night, was 2011’s biggest-seller in the U.K. — and why it later debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. — Sean Daly

Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band With Mr. Mister’s Richard Page, Todd Rundgren, Toto’s Steve Lukather, Santana’s Gregg Rolie, moreSUNDAY 7:30 p.m. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater. $56-$153. (727) 791-7400. The one and only Ringo Starr drummed for the Greatest Boy Band of All Time, the Beatles, who also turned out to also be the Greatest Band Period. There’s no debating either of those statements, so don’t even bother. Mr. Peace and Love is 71 now (about to turn 72 on July 7), but he’ll still put on a fun, energetic show at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Sunday. This year’s backing band includes Todd Rundgren and Mr. Mister’s Richard Page. Don’t be surprised if Ringo gets a few ecstatic screams aimed his way too. Beatlemania lives on! — Sean Daly

Def Leppard With Poison, Lita FordSATURDAY 7 p.m. Tampa Bay Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. $33-$123. (813) 301-2500. The “Rock of Ages” tour technically refers to the screamy ’83 Def Leppard tune. But with the blockbuster flick of the same name snagging the spotlight recently, it’s hard to think about much else. No matter, since Def Leppard and Poison songs figure so prominently in the movie. And count Elliott and Poison’s bra-fetching Bret Michaels’ among those impressed with Tom Cruise’s transformation into a rock star. The groups got a special sneak preview of Cruise’s shoot in Florida last year. “He was great,” Elliott told Rolling Stone. “He got really kind of in deep with the project.” On Saturday, come for the Sunset Strip-style excesses portrayed in the movie. Stay for the reliably giant hooks and hair.

Joe Budden With Chiddy Bang, Jon Connor SATURDAY 6:30 p.m. Jannus Live, 16 Second St. N, St. Petersburg. $15-$20. (727) 565-0551. Satisfy your inner rap geek (and yes, those words can exist together) with sets from smart, soul-baring MC Joe Budden, freestyle rap Guinness Book of World Record holders (with a nine-hour, 16-minute bout) Chiddy Bang, and Flint, Mich. breakout artist and formidable South By Southwest marketer Jon Connor. Jersey’s Budden, one quarter of super troupe Slaughterhouse, tops eerie grooves with equal parts wit and pathos. Chiddy Bang reaches outside the genre, sampling artists like Radiohead and MGMT for some psychedelia. Nas-supported Jon Connor, who managed to stand out in a sea of artists on the streets of SXSW this year with his fatigue-clothed entourage, brings “people’s rapper” rhymes. In a nutshell, this show promises hip-hop poetry over luxury-car-and-rim rapping.

Earth, Wind and Fire SATURDAY Following Rays vs. Tigers. First pitch at 7:15 p.m. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg. Free with game ticket. (888) 326-7297. From the cloud-clearing optimism of September to the “Yes I can!” assurance of Shining Star, Earth, Wind and Fire has enough upbeat funk-disco-soul stuff to lead a parade — or to perk up a dinged-up Rays roster. Rolling Stone credits the Chicago group with “changing the sound of black pop” via a dynamic style of play. But it’s those enormously encouraging anthems that have helped them become one of the best-selling groups of all time. Longtime member Philip Bailey (the ballad man with the famous falsetto) has lead EWF since founder Maurice White’s Parkinson’s Disease forced him to stop touring. The Rays will be wearing throwback uniforms. Your ’70s duds are encouraged, too.

Eric Johnson SATURDAY 8 p.m. Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater. $35 and up. (727) 791-7400. While you were fumbling over the first four measures of Aqualung, Eric Johnson was mastering the art of six-string slinging in the early ’70s. Fresh off his appearance at the Experience Hendrix Tour at Ruth Eckerd Hall in March, the top-ranked rock guitarist and friend to Clapton returns to Clearwater to throw down Grammy-winning, platinum-selling stuff, including Cliffs of Dover, one of the finest validations that instrumentals can indeed be hits.

Hot Dog Show With Guiltmaker, Guantanamo Baywatch, Alias Punch, more TUESDAY 8 p.m. Crowbar, 1812 17th St. N, Ybor City. $5. (813) 241-8600. This annual “Hot Dog Show” pits together the stomachs and sounds of local bands and their fans. Performing (and potentially frank-feeding) are the cerebral alt-rocking guys of Guiltmaker and the crew from Orlando’s Alias Punch, who offer the weird-cool of The Talking Heads.

Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship With Outasight, Sammy Adams WEDNESDAY 1 p.m. Shephard’s Beach Resort 619 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach. $5 and up. (727) 441-6875. Who says July 4 has to be a bore when it happens mid-week? Cobra Starship singer Gabe Saporta will try to turn the Wednesday holiday from mild to wild with pop-punk-glam goodness. He’ll perform a few songs and man the decks for a full DJ set — the latest in a series of unconventional local gigs involving Cobra Starship, such as spinning at the Hard Rock and playing for graduating high schoolers at Busch Gardens.

Chevelle With Variance, Not Tonight JosephineSUNDAY 6 p.m. Jannus Live, 16 Second St. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 565-0551. Free with ticket. Visit 97xonline.com for ticket locations. It’s a family affair when brothers Pete Loeffler and Sam Loeffler and brother-in-law Dean Bernardini perform together as Chevelle. A raw, hard-rocking, and often tense affair at that. Culling inspiration from life’s darker side, Chevelle songs like Vitamin R combine the moodiness of Tool with the guitar crunch of Deftones. The tracks make for adequate ring-entrance music, too. “Local Motion” regulars Variance and Not Tonight Josephine open the show.

LTJ Bukem With Delano, Baker, Jaybee, more WEDNESDAY 9 p.m. Czar, 1420 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City. $10. (813) 247-2664. Before dubstep was dubstep, drum and bass (or jungle) was the go-to for deafening electronic rhythm sections. When smiling drum and bass pioneer LTJ Bukem gets behind the decks, Czar will be rattling at 180 BPM all the way. Not recommend for those with heart irregularities.